Famed Upper West Side hamburger spot Big Nick’s served its final patties yesterday, closing its doors after a half-century.

The owner of Big Nick’s Burger Joint said he couldn’t afford a proposed monthly rent hike from $42,000 to $60,000 and opted to shut down, despite 51 years of serving hamburgers and fries at 77th Street and Broadway.

“It’s very sad. My whole life is here,” owner Nick Imirziades said.

“We have a lot of regulars. This is a destination place. People come from all over the world. I care about the business, and a lot of people know that. Customers are crying. I have to bring handkerchiefs for them.”

Imirziades said he’s looking for new locations in the West 90s, perhaps for a Nick’s relaunch.

Regular customer Richard Weiss said he’ll miss Nick’s, because the burger joint represents a dying breed of local businesses.

“When I moved to New York City, I decided I have to be close to Nick’s. When I would look at an apartment, the Realtor would tell me about the school districts and I would tell them, ‘I just want to live by Nick’s,’ ” said Weiss, a 56-year-old Upper West Side dentist.